There are some known attempts to develop a secure container for transporting currency between one location and another. This is known in the arts as Cash in Transit (CIT). One problem of CIT when a currency validator is part of the system is that traditional currency cassettes are expensive and difficult to transport. Often there is a need to have a cheap inexpensive solution that can be employed within a currency accepting machine that provide a secure container for transporting the currency, but also tamper evident so that if any attempt to access the contents is made, there is a visual and obvious alteration of the container to notify authorities of such fraudulent attempts were made.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,837,095 to Clauser et. al. discloses a secure bag assembly for a lockable removable cassette which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In this disclosure there is a removable container capable of securing currency using a deployable strap to cover the opening of the container where currency is inserted. One disadvantage with such a solution is that it can be a highly complex device and the securing cover/strap must be actuated by a physical user/service person who is removing the container from the cassette.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,819,30 to Williams et. al. discloses a container for storing banknotes wherein the container is closed using a frangible locking key mechanism. In the solution disclosed, a security “key” is required to be inserted into the closure mechanism of the device in order to securely close the container before removal from the cassette or machine. One disadvantage with such a solution is that the securing key must be transported with the service personnel and manually inserted into the container to secure the contents. Such a solution required additional components and complexities.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,748,610 to Bell et. al discloses a bill validator system including a banknote container capable of being heat sealed to prevent access to the contents. The solution disclosed provides for a container having a container opening and closure system that requires a heat/sealing mechanism to activate adhesive substances integral to the container in order to permanently secure the contents and prevent them from being removed. One disadvantage of such a solution is that the host device of the container requires a complicated heating and sealing mechanism in order to cause a chemical reaction to take place to seal the bag or container.
International Patent Application Publication WO2012/040360A1 to Rao et. al discloses a banknote storage container system capable of causing the top of a flexible container to be heat sealed to prevent access to the contents. In the solution disclosed the system must integrate a complicated and expensive sealing mechanism to pinch the container material and cause chemical reactions to occur to seal the bag in a way to prevent access to the contents. One disadvantage of the system is that sealing mechanisms create an expensive device and take up precious space within money handling systems in order to accommodate the sealing mechanism.
The present solution of the disclosure aims to provide a secure container for overcoming the disadvantages of the existing solutions such as those mentioned previously.